Hydrazine has been employed as rocket fuel in a liquid-propelled rocket engine and in laser systems as a fuel source. The fuel hydrazine when employed in combination with an oxidizer such as chlorine trifluoride or chlorine pentafluoride results in the formation of a quantity of ammonia, particularly when the system is operated in a fuel-rich mode. The ammonia, thus formed, introduces a serious problem insofar as infrared sensor functioning is concerned because of its several absorption bands in the infrared spectrum. Thus, an interference in rocketry as well as laser system is present when ammonia is present. The laser pumping as well as the efficiency of the stimulated emission of the chemical laser system is adversely effected by ammonia.
An approach to reducing the problems associated with ammonia includes the use of a properly designed catalyst bed to reduce the quantity of ammonia formed as a byproduct. This approach does not ameliorate the problem to a permissible level. Another corrective approach relates to operating the rocket engine at a higher operating temperature--a temperature at which ammonia would be decomposed as soon as it is formed, but this condition is very difficult to achieve, and the higher temperature adversely affects the life cycle of the rocket engine.
Advantageous would be a solution to the ammonia problem which involves the use of a reactive additive to the halogen oxidizer which shifts the equilibrium of the reaction between the hydrazine and the halogen oxidizer so that no ammonia is produced.
Therefore an object of this invention is to provide a method for the prevention of the formation of ammonia as a byproduct in the reaction of hydrazine and the halogen oxidizer when employed in combination with a liquid-propelled rocket engine.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for the prevention of the formation of ammonia as a byproduct in the reaction of hydrazine and the halogen oxidizer when employed in combination with a chemical laser pumping system.